Buckle fastener device



May 2, 1950 w. A. BEDFORD, JR 2,506,332

BUCKLE FASTENER DEVICE Filed Feb. l5, 1946 l wziam v51. Becffarg/z-s WLSEE @www Patented May 2, 1950 OFFICE einen? govcigrn @strengen VDEvLIcEv ewilliemg Bedford,

1.. Qiagm.

EIne present. invention relates-to improvements 'in buckles andparticularlygtofthetype Vof buckle having end .slots adjustably receiving .one end vlof lastrap org-belt-,and which providesan .attach- -ing..mea ns whereby ern-opposite end portion ...of l,

the, strap lor'lcelte-isY secured to .the :.buckle.

Buckles of thetypei having strap-receiving `Slots .with strapfgripping prongsvextending from an -edgepf one of fthe slotsmave beenfingcqmmon fuse .fior a longtime. @Thisiorm of-buckle has -certain inherent objections- Which the .present-inventionis intended .to overcome. Thus the buckle must: befattachedY to a strapv .end ...in a. predeter- .minedunanner to .place thepronged slotinproper -relativeposition tdenable .the ,prongs .tcjgrip `the l strap. Alsoin. adjusting. this-form..ofebuckle .on lazstrap,v it .is necessary, to unloosen the. strap to .enablecit vto. feed. freely through the pronged vslot .afterlwhich it vmust-be pulled .taut beforeit caribe determinedlwhether .the buckle .is .disposed inde.- sired .position along thelengthof. thest-rap. VThis .operation may-:have to ,bevrepeated onepr more times before the vbuckle is.correctly positionedon .ther strap. -:In addition .the ...prongs .which .in vmost ,instances are :designed `Vto .l penetrate. 4.completely vthe strap. tend- .to tear or. fray certain..-;forms .of 'strap material. after repeated adjustmentaofllthe buckle.

`FThe main .purpose of thepresent'invention is .-to. efect. a buckle .device which .will Uovercome :the -objeetions mentioned `in.. connection -with -older -types A.of .buckles of the.` class described.

.'#Qne of Vthe robjects v.of this `invention .vis- .to pro- .-vide1.az bucklelzwhich maynormally.. be adjusted relative tothe .strap .end Vto Which'it isi attached by, simply sliding vthe buckle v.freely `to :the desired .position.: butvvhich., at `the sameiti'me. grips. automaticallythe strap when the strapis .subjected .-.to strains `tending to unloosen it.

Another .object 'of/ the invention' is :the provision .of a :buckle having strap-gripping .means .which is .constructed so thatA the strap.. ,endmaybe received threilghfthe slot at either. .end-.of the buckle in initially attaching .the buckle.: te theetrep.

eA-.further :object 0i lhe--inrenlien is l prev-ide a buckle having a strap-gripping means adapted :to eneeeethe Strap. by awedeing. eetlerlvwhereby the material of the strap ,is-V.lessabusedthan .when the strap ispenetrated by'fprongsu as. in the older forinofV buckle.

A"Other airns .andobjects of the V invention.will

-leef apparent. -lQllhOSQ-.Skilled .in Jheerl .from f .a

feellslderetieneflhe @sweeping-drawings and annexederecieaiionrilluslrglie enflfdeseribing e.,rreferredembegiment efemv lernten.

pplicationlliebruary 13, 1946,.SerialNo.-,647,228

:In .tile drewirlgr ..1 isarearview of a preferred embodiment .of my iinprovedbuckleiwith v,one end of a strap ,attached thereto;

.Fig 2 vis a vfront 4 eleval-,ion of my improved buckle, th`e..strap end-.tozwhich vit islbeingi attached being .brckenlavvay to. show thel construction of thejbuckle member;

F,vig..-3lisy a v ievvA similar to Fig. .2 and showing l0 voperation .of thefbucklestogrip the strap Aend lwhen.thestrapvis subjected tostrains in predel:..terrnined directions;

.-Fig.' 4 is ya soC/lonal vewtaken along the Aline fri-4' of Eig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an explcdedgview sho-wing parts partially in.l section;

Q. ig. f6; is a-.frontelevation ofthe gripping ele- A,nient forming .a part ofnny v,buckle member;

.Fig-l isfasidefelevation of the element shown ...2.0 meer;

.oiFgfll-,and

r,f1lf1..,9v islavsecticn'siniilar toxFig. S showing the manner .in whichv thebuckle operates to' grip ..25.g"strap.

Referringto the drawingI-have shown my irn- .proved buckle member- I attached to ,an endgZ of .astraplorfQbeltQ '..Referring specically to the Vfoyrrn' yof .buckle rnember illustrated in. Figs. 1-3, i oltlie buelleemerises @generally .liet ,frame loav- -tienS-fflzlllf alle a..b0dvp0rtel16 eine ndporticns. The end portions 4 and: Shave elongated-slots 'l'. and a respectively vvh'icll receive; ,lille :end -v 2: lof. the strap when the 35 buckle is 'attached to the strap. The body porlien..6.haserlwelelleeled Opening.- 9 of predeter- "indf ler1 th disposed.substantiallyin the center @Ellie body. ertlon li Withitsmaior, extendy.ingl infa'gline .substantially perpendicular to Ythe "mi" v.leraresofltl'ie-slots l. an'dS'.

.bled with the .heele frame@ strepl.gripping.Inca-ns.all) whichvrin my 'preferred ern .bedlrlnl' femrrises @enligne element ,l l` .in elle .E'f'niirifo'fLA a circular dischaving a serrated circum- 45-1 folleritial edge@ l 2. H1.The vdisc ll I non t 'einer gde'flre .beer-.1er meer,

j fr A cklefranie. ',Ivhedlanieter er the l er a -erflllee-ll1e-mirzor .eels @f1-ille prem 5o line 9.a d: Sslihanelhe-dlstanee belweeeltilelerler v '.ges lia-11d; .|5- respeeilvelv of zthe slots 'l en e .Seibel the .wemferentialedge Offllieoise .termirllles ,h0rt1.o.ff liiiees lee' lzwliee .heelscls irnthefnermal positionillustratedvinilev 2. The

..56 eglise il l mithe.'preferred yerlflberli.ment .of .my invention has, as shown in Fig. 7, an integral shank I6 which is preferably drawn from the material of the disc and which extends outwardly on one side thereof. When the parts of thebuckle are assembled the shank I6 extends through the opening 9 to the other side of the buckle frame from that upon which the disc I I is disposed. The shank I6 is of smaller diameter than the minor axis of the opening 9 permitting the shank to move longitudinally of the opening 9 causing the disc II to slide in a plane substantially parallel to the front surface I3 (Figs. 2 and 3) of the body portion 5 for a purpose to be described. The strap-gripping means provides on the opposite side of the buckle frame from the disc I I an attaching means enabling the opposite end Il of the strap to be attached to the strap-gripping means. In the preferred embodiment of my invention the attaching means is in the form of a stud member I8 having a base portion I9 and a hollow stud head 2U drawn thereform so as to extend outwardly from the buckle frame when the parts are in complete assembly. The attaching means may be secured to the disc element in any suitable manner, but in my preferred embodiment I have chosen to accomplish this by upsetting the outer end 2| of the shank I6 within the hollow head 20 of the stud member as illustrated in Fig. 8. The base portion I9 of the stud member is of greater diameter than the minor axis of the opening 9 whereby the base I9 which is disposed substantially adjacent the rear surface 22 (Fig. 4) of the buckle frame cooperates with the disc element to secure the strap-gripping means in assembly with the buckle frame.

The opposite end I1 of the strap carries a snap fastener socket member 23 for cooperative fastener engagement with the stud member I8 to attach the strap end I1 to the strap-gripping means I0. The socket member 23, the construction of which forms no part of my present invention, provides resilient segments 24 adjacent a stud-receiving opening 25. The segments 24 expand and contract to engage the stud head 20 upon application of the stud head into the opening 25 as will be understood by those skilled in the art. The socket 23 is secured to the strap end I1 by any suitable means such as an attaching member 26 which, as shown in Fig. 8, has a ring element 2'! disposed on one surface of the strap end I1. The ring 21 provides prong elements 28 which extend from the inner edge of the ring 21 through the material of the strap end I1 and are deformed Within an annular apron 29 provided by the socket 23.

In operation of my buckle member in connection with a strap in the form of a belt and the like, the strap end 2 is threaded through the slots 1 and 8 of the buckle I, it being immaterial into which slot the strap is first entered, and the strap end I1 is moved around the body of the wearer and secured to the buckle member by engaging the socket 23 with the stud member IB. If it is necessary to loosen or tighten the strap this may be accomplished by simply grasping the strap end 2 with one hand and moving the buckle I with the other hand to desired position with respect to the strap end 2. In adjusting the buckle in this manner movement of the strap through the slots tends to maintain the disc element II in normal centered position with relation to the body portion 6 of the buckle frame as illustrated in Figs. 2, 4 and 8. In View of this fact during adjustment of the buckle the circumferential edge I2 of the disc element II is restrained from projecting beyond the inner edges I4 and I5 of the strap-receiving slots 'l and 8 and the strap is movable freely through the slots 1 and 8 until the desired tightness or looseness of the belt is effected.

The gripping or locking action upon the strap tending to hold the buckle securely in adjusting position, to which advantage my improved buckle is directed, if elected by means of engagement of the disc element with the strap when strains are exerted on the strap ends in directions tending to unloosen the strap. Thus with reference to Figs. 3 and 9 of the drawing, when the strap end I1 is pulled in the direction of the arrow A a strain is exerted upon the strap end 2 in the direction of the arrow B. As a result of these strains the disc element Il will move beyond the edge I5 of the slot 8 to engage its circumferential edge I 2 with the strap end 2 thereby tending to wedge the portion 3l of the strap against the outer edge 30 of the slot 8 (Fig. 9). At the same time as a result of the strain upon the strap end 2 in the direction of the arrow B when unloosening forces are exerted the wedging action tends to move the portion 3| of the strap into a position substantially normal to that portion 32 of the strap covering the front of the buckle frame. The relatively sharp angle taken by the strap portions 32 and 3| as a result of engagement of the strap by the gripping element Il reduces the opportunity for the strap end 2 to move through the slot 8 when the locking action is applied. The mechanical action by which the disc element Il is moved into locking engagement with the strap end 2 is elected through the strain exerted on theY strap end I1 in the direction of the arrow A. This force is transmitted through the socket 23 lto the stud member I0 engaged therewith which in turn shifts the shank element I6 longitudinally of the slot to dispose the disc element ll in strap-engaging position. While the buckle is operable to grip tightly the strap without the necessity of serrating the circumferential edge of the disc element it is deemed desirable to provide very short teeth on the disc edge causing vthe edge to embed itself slightly within the fibers of the inner surface of the strap thereby enhancing the gripping action.

While I have illustrated my invention as applied to a belt-like structure in which the buckle is secured to one end of a strap and the cooperating fastener means to another end, it is understood that the buckle would be completely operable in an installation in which the buckle was secured to a piece of material such as an overall bib for securing a shoulder strap. In an application of this type the strap-gripping means must be attached to the bib in any suitable manner to operate to grip the strap when strains are exerted upon the strap or bib tending to alter the relative positions of the strap end and buckle.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby as the scope of my invention is best defined by the following claim.

I claim:

A fastener device comprising a buckle frame having spaced strap-receiving slots and a body portion intermediate said slots, said body portion having an opening and a fiat bearing surface surrounding said opening, a movable flat disc-shaped strap-gripping element of greater diameter than said opening in said body portion disposed on one side of said body portion in sliding contact with said flat bearing surface, a fastener member movable with the strap-gripping slidable bearing engagement with the opposite element and disposed on the opposite side of said face of said buckle frame.

body.- portion in slidable bearing engagement WILLIAM A. BEDFORD, JR. therewith, an attaching element extending through said opening for rotatably mounting and 5 REFERENCES CITED assembling said gripping element and fastener The following references are of record in the member on said frame,jsaid opening being of iile of this =pat-,enig larger area than the cross-sectional area of said fastener-attaching element where it passes UNITED STATES PATENTS through said opening tdpermit shifting of said 53 Number Name Date strap-gripping element oyer either strap-receiv- Ja'ps Apr' 1930 ingslot and into biting engagement with a strap 1947424 g; 5-1 ggg i3 threaded therethrough substantially in the plane 2,039,110 patchen Apt 28: 1936 o'f'fsaid bearing surfaces,?'and said fastener mem- 2 268 224 Reiter Dec 30 1941 bPIf-fafvng a fiat diSCv-fllvaped Portion 0f Sub' 15 23461652 Huelster Nov 1, 1949 stantially larger dimension than a minor dimansion of said opening to slldably bear on one FOREIGN PATENTS fate of said buckle frame to retain a peripheral Number Country Date edge portion of said strap-gripping element in 20 688,069 Germany Feb. 12, 1940 

